The three-hour bus ride from Split to Medugorje yielded spectacular views
of the mountainous Dalmatic coast. Following roads skirting the
Adriatic, I could see the mountains approaching on the left side of the bus,
the sea far below to the right, homes precariously perched on the sides of
hills. Dodging suicidal Yugos seemingly bent on beating a bus driver
skilled at throwing the bus through impossible hairpin turns, we climbed
into a farming village at the base of a valley.

I was somewhat disappointed. What was once a small village semi-collectivized
during the Communist regime for tobacco cultivation was now one
of the largest cities on the central-western Bosnian-Croatian border.
Mostly Croatian, Medugorje is also home to Bosnian Muslims and a
small community of Italians. Following the pilgrimage boom beginning in
the late 1980's, Serbs and Germans have moved in to run for-profit
inns a level above the residences that the Croatians can afford to run.
Opting to stay in a pension run by an elderly Croatian, I had the opportunity
to be a bit closer to the neighborhoods and people, not the main thoroughfare
crowded with expensive restaurants.

A large basilica dominates the village. Administered by the Franciscans,
it hosts a full roster of liturgical activities and prayer services.
The basilica's bells regulate the movement of nearly every pilgrim;
once Vespers chime, thousands of pilgrims flock to kneel outside of the
church, fanning out in every direction over flagstones. Many who come
have already read about the apparitions at home; most crane their necks
to hear the every word of the visionaries who seem to recite very similar
stories. Hence the problem that many have with Medugorje. Is is simply
a moneymaker, a way to boost the local economy through plasticineBVM's
and other curios? Could it be that the messages are intentionally simplistic
to get the message out to everyone?

Yes and no. Some argue that compared to Fatima or Lourdes,
Mary does speak too much. Medugorje visionaries have also given conflicting
stories of what the Virgin has said; even going as far to contradict doctrine of the
Catholic Church. But after witnessing a pilgrim go up and try to embrace
a visionary in a semi state of rapture, I'm convinced that the message
of peace in troubled times must have relevance to anyone who is struggling
in life. It may be argued that idolizing the visionaries is not a good way
to convince a theologian of the appropriateness of the shrine.

The most solemn activity is a 4 km hike up a hill atop which is a 10m
concretecross. Erected in the 1930s, the cross now has become a symbol
of the apparitions and messages recieved in Medugorje, and is a place of prayer
and an opportunity to deposit messages around the base of the cross. Along
the path are polished stone plaques engraved with the Stations of the Cross.
Hiking slowly to account for various abilities within the group, I had the
chance to notice the dusty crags along the path worn slick by heavy traffic;
groups of ascetics bounded up the trail, unshod feet covered in bruises and
soaked with blood. Using stunted tall tumbleweed as grips we arrived at the
summit, treated to a full view of the valley below and the thin air above us.
At ground level I was told that a monk used to hike up the mountain every day,
picking garbage left by the tourists. Regardless of claims of fraud,
anyone brave enough to hike a steep trail in any weather must be dedicated
to a message with some credibility.

Battling dry but concentrated heat I had the opportunity to walk out into the
housing developments skirting the shrine area. The economic opportunities
that wealthy pilgrims bring have brought more suffering to those struggling
to survive. Croatian innkeepers are simply not able to match the amenities
and capital of Serbs and Germans. Roma (Gypsy) homeless and unskilled
workers have crowded into the basilica compound. Curing figs, selling
popcorn, and sometimes following pilgrims around for a dollar, deutchemark,
or two, Roma are frequently followed by monks chasing the destitude out
of the courtyards.

Medugorje is concentrated Christianity, a Christianity that promotes a
charismatic, pentecostal way of worship. The emphasis on miracle and
revelation, even nonsensical revelation, is woven into the very life of
Medugorje: in the face of the beggars chased out of the church; in the
eyes of the widow who cannot survive without more boarders who want hot
showers and Coca-Cola in a Westernizedhotel, and in the face
of the visionaries themselves. Lips writhing, faces
contorted while speaking in tongues, only the seers know the reason why
so many tour buses descend on an unknown tobacco town.